Level



July 19, 1932. C; A. LEGER 1,868,361

LEVEL Filed May 29, 1931 Home y Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES CLEMENT A. LEGER, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA LEVEL Application filed May 29,

This invention relates generally to devices for determining by action of the force of gravity, the angularity of surfaces with respect to the horizontal, and particularly to a new and novel embodiment of this principle which possesses features of novelty and advantage not heretofore discovered or applied as set out in the structure described below.

It is an object of this invention to provide an extremely simple device of this character which may be applied to a great variety of different instruments for determining angularity with respect to the horizontal.

This and other objects of the invention, its nature, and its composition and arrangement and combination of parts will be readily understood by anyone acquainted with the art to which this invention relates upon consulting the following descriptions of the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of one embodiment of the device of my inifention shown in position on an angular surace.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail side elevational view of the active element of the device of the invention.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the end of the device of the invention opposite that portion thereof shown in Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing the numeral 5 generally designates a preferred form of the invention which consists of a flat elongated base 6 upon which is secured a metallic or other composition plate 7 having variously co-ordinated series of mathematical data usable in connection with the movable parts of the device to facilitate calculations in connection with the angularities measured by the said moving parts. The said series of data-are generally indicated at 8.

The base 6 is at one end provided with a circular recess 9. The plate 7 is circularly apertured concentrically with the recess 9 as indicated at 10, the opening 10 being smaller than the recess 9 in order to confine within the recess a disk 11. The disk 11 is slightly 1931. Serial No. 540,976.

smaller in diameter than the recess 9 and of a thickness less than the depth of the recess 9. A button 12 has L-shaped spring legs 13 extending downwardly then radially outwardly therefrom, the vertical portions 14 of "55 the spring legs 13 being disposed in a central aperture in the disk 11. The elongated portions of the legs 13 contact the floor of the recess 9 and by spring action press the disk 11 .outwardly into contact with the underside of the portion of the plate 7 over the recess, whereby to frictionally arrest a ball 15, which is disposed in a raceway 16 in the form of an annular recess in the upper face of the disk 11, the ball being pressed against the "135 underside of the plate Thy this action of the springs 13 of the button 12. rlhe ball 15 when released by an inward pressure upon the button 12, is free to roll in the raceway 1G, and this fact is taken advantage of to measure the angularityof a portion of a building, such as a roof or the like, or any other angularly disposed st-ructure. The method of arriving at the angularity of an angularly disposed surface is to place the device of the invention as in Figure 1, on one edge thereof. Then the button 12 is pushed inwardly so as to release the ball 15 from frictional Contact with the underside of the plate 7 over the recess 9, and

Vthe ball will be carried by gravity to the bot- 'S0 tom of the raceway and indicate graphically in connection with indicia 17 placed around Ithe aperture 10 in the plate 7, whereby to enable the determination in degrees or in other significant characters the degree of angularity of the upper edge of the device with the horizontal. Of course, the knowlredge of this angularityperinits coordination with knowledge of a definite length of base in a triangle, for instance, whereby to deter- '90 mine the height of a gable or the like, or any similar or generically related calculations may be made conveniently in connection with Vthe vcoordinated series of data 8 placed lfon thesurface of the plate 7. f As itis evident the device of the invention could be incorporated in a great variety of angle finding instruments, such as a seX- tant and the like, it is, therefore, to be definitely understood that I do not desire tok 300 limit the application of this invention to the particular modilication set out herein to illustrate the principles thereof, and any change or` changes may be made in material ,5 and structure and'arrangement of parts consistent with the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1What is claimed isz- Y- l. A device ofthe character described for measuring angles withy the horizontal by,

gravity actuated means, comprising" a baseY C having a circular recess in one side near one end, aY disk in the recessl having a cir- Y cumferential ball race, a ball' in the race, and

releasable spring means for normally positioning saidfdislr-so as to frictionallyengage the ball with the base to prevent movement of the ball and operable to release the ball to "permit it to fall and roll in said race'way to lthe lowest point thereof-*to lindicate gravitahorizontal. s v

' 2. Afdevic'e for gravitati'onally measuring angles comprising a base having a circular r'ecessnear one end,V a plateon the base hav-l ing an opening smaller than the opening of the recess and registered therewith, a disk inV the recess having in its outward side an annu- `lar channel, a ball inthe channel, and spring means-normally moving said disk outwardly vto press said ball against the plate, and other means'V projecting through the disk to act upon said spring means to permit the ball to roll freely inthe channel and position it- 'Y self at the lowest point of the channel to indicate the angularity fof the base with the horizontal, said spring means kadapted to retain the ball so lpositioned upon release thereof. Y n v Y 40 3. Adevice for gravitationally measuring langles comprising abase having a circular `recess near one end', a plate on the base having an opening smaller than the opening of the recess and registered therewith, a disk in 'Y the recess having inritsoutward side an an- Y nular channel, a ball in the channel, and A spring means normally moving said disk outwardly to press said ball against the plate,

and other means projecting through the disk f -to actupon said spring means to Vpermit the ball to roll freely in the channel and position itself at the lowest point of thechannel to indicate the angularity of the base with the l.

y. horizontal, said spring means adapted to reltain the ball so positioned` upon release thereof, and coordinated series of related mathematical tablesV insaid plate adapted to l` cooperate with the indications made by the l f `ball to give required solutions of problems.

60 l In testimony whereof I aliiX mysignature.

" V CLEMENT A. LEGER.

tionally the angularity the base with'the i' 

